"You trashy hussy, you still have the gall to insult me?"
Sharon gritted her teeth in disbelief,
"Such nerve! Mistresses these days are just too brazen!"
"You're all beat up and still talking tough? I'll show you what I'm made of, or my name isn't Sharon Harry!"
Sharon Harry?
Beyond my anger, a surge of something inexplicable rose within me.
Pain overwhelmed me before I could unpack that feeling, making each breath a struggle.
Sharon raised her hand, and her entourage paused their beating.
As soon as I relaxed, blood unexpectedly spilled from my mouth.
Some faces in the crowd softened, their eyes reflecting a flicker of pity.
Desperate, I called out to them for help,
"Please, someone call the police! I'm not the other woman, I just flew in for my dad's wedding. I am. . . "
Sharon cut me off, pinching my chin with her sharp nails,
"See how she tries to play the victim? That's her trick, seducing her way into beds. "
"Don't be fooled by her act. For the disrespect she showed me, she's gonna bleed today!"
"Ladies, trash this place!"
I managed to croak out defiantly,
"You wouldn't!"
"Think I won't? Watch this!"
The women glanced at each other, uncertain,
"Really? Destroy all this beautiful stuff?"
Sharon's jealousy contorted her face as she hissed,
"It's all my husband's property. I'd rather smash it than let this homewrecker have it!"
"She doesn't deserve a single piece of it. "
"Relax, my husband ranks eighth on the richest list. We can afford to smash a little I'll cover any trouble. "
Emboldened by Sharon's command, the women reluctantly started smashing, yet their eyes sparkled shrewdly.
Display cases toppled, jewels scattered and shattered with a sharp, distressing sound.
They winked and nodded at each other while wrecking the place, sneaking pricey gems into their pockets in the corners that couldn't be seen from outside.
Within minutes, the showcase was in ruins.
My heart bled, and tears welled up.
I'd painstakingly designed the creations over endless nights with all my efforts.
Seeing an opening as Sharon gloated, I broke free and shoved her aside.
My mouth was bloody, speaking caused immense pain, but I couldn't hold back any longer,
"Enough! Everyone, just stop!"
"Sharon Harry, right? Well, I'm Linda Evans, Jack Evans's daughter, the very man you're marrying tomorrow!"
"If Dad sees how you're treating me, he won't let this slide!"
Those words cost all my strength.
I thought revealing who I was would make them stop, apologize, and maybe even beg for forgiveness.
But they paused only momentarily before bursting into laughter.
"Told you, she's an actress through and through, deceiving us all!"
Then Sharon hoisted me up and slammed me back against the display case.
My spine screamed in pain, the numbness spreading.
"Yesterday, my fiancé told me his daughter was in France for a major jewelry contest, couldn't make our wedding. "
"Don't believe me? Call my dad yourself!"
Sharon's fury only intensified instead of calming down.
She became more diabolical and brutal.
"Impersonating my stepdaughter, of all people? You think you can play that role?"
"First, you try to steal my husband, now his daughter? I need to make you suffer today, teach you a lesson. "
"Ladies, let's finish her off. "
Two women held down my arms, forcing me to lie back on the shattered display.
Another two restrained my legs, leaving me exposed in my skirt, prone and visible to the onlookers.
At that moment, I felt a despair and vulnerability I had never known.
Never had I imagined myself at the mercy of such baseless cruelty and degradation.
"Sharon Harry, you lunatic!"
Sharon laughed heartily,
"You finally said something accurate. I am a lunatic! Push me too far, and there's nothing I won't do!"
She circled me twice, relishing my powerless rage.
Suddenly, her smile disappeared as she grabbed the pendant around my neck.
Instinctively, I struggled, reaching out for it.
"Don't touch it! Give it back!"
Sharon examined the pendant, sneering,
"You've been clinging to this thing like it's your lifeline. It's just some old pendant, isn't it?"
"All those jewels broke without a peep from you, but this trinket has you all riled up?"
Noticing my panic, she deliberately tapped the pendant against the glass, eliciting a sharp sound.
Panic surged through me.
This pendant was my mom's last gift to me.
She was a gifted jewelry designer and had made it when I was born, infusing it with all her maternal love.
The design was remarkable. One way, it depicted a pregnant mother caressing her belly; flipped, a toddler running into her arms.
I'd worn it since I could remember, treasuring it more after Julia passed, fearful of any harm.
At that moment, fear gripped me.
Sharon was capable of anything, utterly unhinged.
I couldn't just watch her destroy something so precious.
My voice broke as I pleaded,
"This is all I have left from my mom, my only solace. "
"Please, just return the pendant, and I won't pursue today's events any further. "
Sharon smirked leisurely, her lips curling,
"Want it back, huh? Sure, why not?"
"But first, kneel and give me ten good bows as an apology. "